It's been wonderful to see the sun again over the last few weeks hasn't it. Weather like this definitely calls for evening walks, lunch outdoors, fish and chips on the sand and of course, the odd ice cream.
I'm not going to pretend I don't enjoy chip-shop-chips and seafront ice cream, but mostly we like to try and have healthier alternatives when we're at home and frozen yogurt lollies have become a bit of a dessert staple for us recently.
I've made several variations, but these 'fab' lollies have been our favourite so far. I haven't eaten a real fab lolly for years but they always feel like the ubiquitous British ice lolly to me, and they look pretty too so I decided to make a frozen yoghurt version. They feel like a proper dessert, but they have less than a teaspoon of natural sweetener (in this case maple syrup but you could use whichever you prefer) and the chocolate topping is 80% cocoa meaning it has much less sugar and lots of antioxidants, magnesium and iron.
They're also really easy to make, and they look (and definitely taste) even better than an actual fab lolly. This recipe makes 7 lollies in my large ice lolly mould, but you can obviously increase or decrease the amounts to suit your mould, and your taste.
Ingredients:
- 300g punnet of frozen raspberries
- 500g tub of organic full fat yoghurt - you could swap out for a dairy free alternative if you avoid - dairy completely - I choose to eat a little organic dairy.
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup, or other natural sweetener. I also like rice malt syrup, xylitol and local honey which has been a huge help in my battle against hey fever!
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g 80% cocoa chocolate. You won't use it all but you need enough to dip the lollies into. The rest can be remelted for something else another day.
- A small handful of pistachios
- Freeze dried raspberries (these are obviously optional but they do looks super pretty in place of sprinkles. I got mine in the baking section of Sainsbury's, and have been adding them to muesli and porridge, but if you didn't want to buy them just for this you could use some dried cranberries or goji berries, or just use the pistachios)
You'll also need (as well as standard kitchen bits and bobs):
- Blender
- Lolly mould and sticks
Method:
First, tip all the raspberries into a small saucepan and add one tablespoon of the maple syrup or other sweetener. Cook them on a medium heat for about 10-15 minutes until they're syrupy and jammy, stirring occasionally so they don't catch on the bottom.
Let them cool a little, then place in the blender with roughy half of the yoghurt. Blend it up and you'll have a fantastic barbie pink concoction.
Pour the raspberry yoghurt mixture into a jug, passing it through a sieve to remove the seeds. Marvel for a moment that nature made something so pink!
Pour into your lolly mould, filling each to around two thirds full. As I said, this recipe made seven lollies in my mould, but it's on the large side you you may get more. Pop into the freezer for just a few minutes while you make the vanilla yoghurt part. Don't forget about them or you'll never get the sticks in!
To the rest of the yoghurt add one teaspoon of vanilla and the other tablespoon of maple syrup. Again, add the sweetener to taste, you may find you don't need any at all after you've added the vanilla, although remember once frozen flavours are slightly lessened so you almost want it a little too sweet before freezing. Top up each of the lollies with the yoghurt, add the lolly sticks and pop into the freezer.
After a few hours your lollies will be frozen and you can pop them out of the mould. Once de-moulder, place them back in the freezer (separated with baking paper) while you melt the chocolate so they'll be really cold once you're ready to dip them.
Melt your chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of boiling water. Once melted transfer it to a small glass so it will be deep enough to dip each lolly into. Chop up the pistachios and mix with the freeze dried raspberries so you can work quickly once you start dipping as the chocolate will set quickly onto the frozen lollies.
Remove the lollies from the freezer and quickly dip each one into the melted chocolate, turn a few time to let the excess run off then sprinkle with the toppings - you'll see the chocolate setting which is quite good fun. When you're done you can wrap each one in baking paper and pop back in the freezer for a few minutes before eating to let the yoghurt under the chocolate (which will have softened a little) firm up again.
Enjoy! I'd love to hear how you get on if you try these.
No comments